Recently, input devices equipped with a touch panel have been widely used as character input devices or input display devices for example in multi-function mobile terminals. Such a character input device is provided with for example a plurality of selection switches 112, 114, 116, and 118 in one switch 110 provided in the touch panel as shown in FIG. 9A (see for example Patent Literature 1) so that various kinds of character information can be input on a small touch panel screen. One of the selection switches 112, 114, 116, and 118 is selected when the switch 110 as a main switch is pressed by an operation tool such as a stylus pen and then the stylus pen is moved a distance in a desired input direction, so that a corresponding character (one of Japanese characters “” to “” in the example) can be input.
As shown in FIG. 9B, a character input device configured to pop up an indication of switches 124 related to an input key 122 provided at a mobile device 120 at the display part of the touch panel in response to pressing of the input key 122 has been suggested (for example Patent Literature 2). The operator of the mobile device 120 can select a character desired to be input from the popped up switches 124 by flick operation and carry out necessary character input.